Balloon-cane.



P. J. GREQUE.

BALLOON 0AM]. APPLICATION rum) JULY 1a, 1668.

918,973. Patented la 1 .20, 1909-.

FIE].

i @il w n lli f 1n: NORRIS PETERS 5a., wASumcmn, b. c.

FRANK J. OREQUE, OF OUYAHOGA FALLS, OHIO.

BALLOON-CANE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

' Application filed July 18, 1908. Serial No. 444,153.

To all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I, FRANK ,J. CRE UE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cuyahoga Falls, county of Summit, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Balloon-Canes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawmg. i

This invention relates to a balloon cane, and particularly to a cane or staff provided with an inflatable balloon or object at one end thereof. s

The invention has for an object to provide a staff having an air passage and inflating opening therein and an inflatable balloon secured to said staff together with means for controlling the inflating opening to maintain the balloon in expanded condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide the air passage of the staff with a sound producing opening or device adapted to be controlled by a sliding sleeve which ismovable upon the staff to cover either the sounding device or inflating opening thereof.

Other and further objects of the invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention applied to the head of a cane; Fig. 2 is a detail elevation with the controlling sleeve in section; Fig. 3 is a section on line 33, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the staff and the head thereof, and Fig. 5 is adetail perspective of the protecting cap for said head. i

Like numerals refer to like parts in the several views of the drawing. I

The numeral 10 designates the staff or cane which may be of any desired material or construction and is provided with the air passage 11 having an' opening 12 communieating with the exterior of the staff. When the balloon 13 or, other inflatable object is attached at one end of the staff the passage 11 is provided with an open end 14 at which point a circumferential recess 15 may be provided to facilitate the attachment of the balloon in the usual manner as at 16. In

this arrangement a knob or head. 1.7 is provided for the cane and has a tubular lower portion 18 in which the upper end of the staff fits. This knob is hollowand open at the top to form a receptacle 19 to receive the balloon or inflatable object when deflated and for the purpose of protecting the deflated material either in the transportation of the cane or its subsequent use, a cover disk20 is provided and fits the upper open end of the chamber 19.

The balloon is inflated by applying the mouth at the-opening 12, and for the purpose of controlling this opening and closing it when the balloon is fully inflated a sleeve 21 is slidingly mounted upon the stick or staff 10 and closely fits the same. This sleeve may be of any desired material, preferably soft rubber, so as to form a close contact. In some uses of the cane it is also desirable to produce a sound or noise during the deflation of the balloon or by blowing into the inflating opening 12. For this purpose an aperture 22 is formed in the staff and provided with any desired sounding device, for instance, the band 23 of elastic material tightly stretched thereover which produces a squawking sound by the escaping air. This opening 22- is positioned relative to the inflating opening 12 so as to be covered by the sleeve 21. s

In the operation of the invention it will be seen that when the-balloon is to be inflated the sleeve is raised into the position shown in Fig. 2, and by. blowing through the inflating opening the balloon contained within the head of the cane is forced outward therefrom and inflated as shown in Fig. 1 after which the sleeve is moved into the position shown in that figure. VVhenthe balloon is to be deflated the sleeve is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 allowing the escape of air therefrom, but if during this escape it is desired to produce a sound or noise the sleeve is moved downward into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 so as to permit the gradual esca e of the air through the sounding device. hen it is desired to utilize the sounding device when the balloon is fully inflated the sleeve is moved out of contact, with both of the openings and when additional pressure is applied to' the inflating opening the excess of pressure beyond the inflation of the balloon will escape through the sound opening. It will be seen that this device is simple in structure and particularly adapted for advertising purposes as such matter can be readily printed upon the disk cover for the cane head or upon the material of the balloon. When not inflated the balloon may be readily packed within the head receptacle and completely concealed so that the device may be used as a staff or cane,.while after inflation the sounding device may be used or rendered inoperative as found desirable by a proper adjustment of the sleeve.

I aving described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim and desire to V flat'able device communicating with said passage, a receptacle carried by said stafl to receive said device when deflated means for controlling said inflating opening, and a sounding device connected with the passage of said staif,

3. In a balloon ca'ne, a staff provided with an air passage and inflating opening, an in flatable device communicating with said passage, a receptacle carried by said staff to receive said device when deflated and a sliding collar upon the staff to control said inflating opening.

I 4. In a balloon cane, a staff provided with an air passage and inflating opening, an inflatable device communicating with said passage, a receptacle carried by said staff to receive said device when deflated and an elastic sliding collar upon said stafl to control said inflating opening.

'5. In a balloon cane, a staff provided with an air passage and inflating opening, an inflatable device communicating with said passage, a receptacle carried by said staif to receive said device when deflated an elastic sliding collar upon said staff to control said inflating opening, and a sounding device connected with said passage and disposed to be controlled by said collar. v

6. In a balloon cane, a staff provided with an air passage and inflating opening, an inflatable device communicating with said passage, a receptacle carried by said stafl to receive said device when deflated means for controlling said inflating opening, and a cover for said receptacle.

7. In a balloon cane, a staff provided with an air passage and inflating opening, an inflatable device communicating with said passage, a rece tacle carried by said stafl to receive said evice when deflated means for controlling said inflating opening, and a cover disk adapted for insertion in said receptacle.

8. In a balloon cane, a staff having an air passage at one end thereof and an inflating opening communicating therewith, means for closing said opening, a head for said stafl comprising a receptacle, and an inflatable object secured to the end of said stafl' in sa d receptacle and in communication with said passage.

9. In a balloon cane, a staff having an air passage at one end thereof and an inflating opening communicating therewith, means for closing said opening, a head for said stafl' comprising a receptacle, an inflatable object secured to the end of said staff in said receptacle in communication with said passage, and a sounding device connected with said passage withinthe stafl' and controlled by the closure for the inflating opening.

10. In a balloon cane, a staff having an air passage at one end thereof and a plurality of openings communicating therewith, an inflatable object communicating with said passage, and a sliding sleeve mounted upon the exterior of the stafl and movable to close both of said openings or either thereof.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signalnre in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. CHEQUE.

W'itnesses THEO. A. HooKwALT, G. IV. GRIDLEY. 

